1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a water craft having external propulsion means, and more particularly, to a light, highly maneuverable water craft characterized by a spaced pair of pontoons capped by an essentially flat deck to form the hull, with a pair of battery powered electric motors positioned at the rear of the pontoons to supply propulsion. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the water craft is propelled by a pair of stationary, reversible electric motors which are designed to operate responsive to separate motor activation controls and speed and thrust controls, with the direction and speed of the water craft determined by selective activation and forward and reverse operation of the motors, and by variable speed controls. A significant feature of the water craft of this invention is positive control in any direction without the use of steering cables, rods, wheels and other conventional means of manipulating the attitude of the drive motor or motors to achieve directional control of the water craft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Perhaps one of the fastest growing industries in the United States today is the production of sports water craft for sailing, general purpose boating and fishing. Water craft of all shapes and sizes, ranging from 50 to 75 feet in length and larger, to small sailboats, pirogues and prams in the 6 to 15 foot length category are becoming increasingly popular as boating and sport fishing become more prevalent with each passing year. With the rapid increase in the sport of fresh water fishing, and bass fishing in particular, has come a virtual explosion in the production of fishing boats and rigs of all shapes, sizes and designs, most of which are supplied with outboard or inboard-outboard motors and auxiliary electric trolling motors. Generally, the gasoline powered outboard or inboard-outboard motor is used to speed the boat to the fishing area, while the electric trolling motor is then utilized to silently position the boat near desirable fishing areas with a minimum of noise and effort. Many of these fishing boats have become highly sophisticated in design and performance, at an accompanying high cost. For example, the average bass fishing rig used all over the United States in recent years might typically be about 17 feet in length and 5 or 6 feet in width, and is fitted with a 100 or 150 horsepower outboard or inboard-outboard motor, and an electric trolling motor. The cost of such a boat may range from about $4,000 to about $6,500 or more.
A primary disadvantage of large, heavy boats such as the one described above, and particularly the boats used in fresh water lakes which are characterized by stumps and logs, is the problem of the boat and outboard motor becoming lodged on a stump or log while moving through the water under the power of an electric trolling motor. When this occurs, weight must be shifted in the boat, or the outboard or inboard-outboard engine must be started to remove the boat from the obstacle, thus disturbing the fishing area. Another disadvantage of water craft and boats characterized by a high performance outboard or inboard-outboard engine is the increasing cost of operation, which rises with increasing horsepower and the rapidly escalating cost of gasoline and other petroleum products. Still another problem inherent in such water craft is the ever increasing problem of water pollution created by gasoline and oil, and by the products of combustion produced by such engines, particularly under circumstances where many such boats are located on waterways of limited size.
My U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,108 discloses a water craft which is propelled by a pair of stationary-mounted, reversible electric trolling motors, which are directionally controlled by thrust rather than steering controls. This application includes an improved version of the propelled water craft in U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,108.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved propelled water craft of pontoon design which is stable, light in weight, easily maneuvered around obstacles and removed from obstacles when lodged thereon, and does not pollute the water.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved water craft which is characterized by a hull which includes a pair of pontoons and a generally flat deck with a seat pedestal carrying a pair of folding and rotating seats mounted thereon, which craft is propelled by twin, stationary-mounted, reversible motors positioned at the rear of the pontoons and at a selected horizontal angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pontoons, and is controlled by selectively activating the motors and by varying the thrust intensity and direction of the motors.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved, safe pontoon-floated water craft which is propelled by a pair of built-in, reversible, multiple speed electric motors which are stationary-mounted in a selected horizontal, angular relationship with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pontoons, respectively, and with directional control of the water craft achieved by adjustably, foot-operated selective activation of the motors, by speed control adjustment, and by controlling alternate forward and reverse thrust of the motors.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved battery powered, electric motor-propelled water craft which is characterized by a pair of pontoons carrying a live well and storage compartment, and a pair of reversible, variable speed, battery-operated electric motors fixedly mounted at the rear of a pontoon hull, which motors may be controlled as to activation and deactivation by energizing motor start switches positioned on a portable start switch support, and by also controlling the direction of thrust and speed.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and safe battery-powered water craft which is characterized by a twin-pontoon hull having a generally flat deck, live wells and storage areas provided in the pontoons, and a pair of elevated, folding and rotating seats, and further characterized by a pair of built-in, reversible, variable speed, direct current-operated electric motors having multivoltage capability, which motors are mounted in stationary, side-by-side arrangement at the rear base of the pontoons with the front end of each of the motors skewed or slanted in a selected outward, horizontal angular relationship to the longitudinal axis of the pontoons, respectively, and are capable of providing selective forward and reverse thrust at variable speed responsive to conveniently located foot controls which are adjustable and can be located for operation from either seat, as well as hand controls.